On 5 October, CSP Northern Ireland staff met with the Minister of Health for a positive and constructive discussion focused on three important and connected priorities for physiotherapy and the wider health service.
The meeting provided an opportunity to progress the Community Rehabilitation Framework, with a focus on improving physiotherapy capacity and regional AHP waiting-time information and strengthening the contribution of physiotherapy and other AHPs to tackling health-related economic inactivity.
CSP Northern Ireland has consistently argued that community rehabilitation must be recognised as an essential part of health service transformation and the move towards delivering more care closer to home.
We also emphasised the importance of embedding rehabilitation and AHP expertise within the developing Neighbourhood Model and Integrated Neighbourhood Teams.
We were encouraged by the progress discussed with the Minister. There is now a proposed route for taking the framework forward through a strategic oversight group, with the principles underpinning the framework expected to be agreed by December 2026 and an intention to publish it in early 2027.
We also discussed physiotherapy capacity and waiting times, including the current absence of consistent regional data on physiotherapy and wider AHP waiting lists. Better information is needed to identify unmet need, address inequalities in access and inform workforce and service planning.
Our third area of discussion was health-related economic inactivity. We highlighted the significant contribution physiotherapists and other AHPs can make through early intervention, MSK and occupational health services, vocational rehab and supporting people to remain in or return to work.
In addition, we raised the important issue of health service pay and the continuing pressures facing physiotherapy staff and the wider HSC workforce.
CSP Northern Ireland will continue working with the Minister and Department to maintain this momentum and ensure that rehabilitation and physiotherapy are at the heart of health service transformation.
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